First contact, new friends, and the ethical ramifications of teleportation network access

[Rory Cullen]

 The time has come - indeed, it has passed, largely unnoticed - to discuss how we approach new cultures.

 The teleport network is fascinating, but it also has the potential to transform the societies using it. I mean this in a general sense - who in the village, even amongst those who have not and are not likely to venture out onto the plains and beyond, now views our plateau as the whole of the known world? - but more directly in that it can significantly alter the daily lives of the people around it.

 Take the "sea dwarves" of Kassiter. We know almost nothing of their culture, save for the fact that roughly once a year they send a trade caravan to the elves of Klippika.

 Let us say that we visit them, and they are friendly. "How did you come here?" they shall ask.

 Assuming we do not lie to them they will doubtless wish to witness these marvellous devices for themselves. Once seen, some among them will presumably wish to explore and learn, just as we have. Once they begin to use the teleport network, one of them will doubtless realise that they could run much more frequent trading expeditions to Klippika and Riverglade both, at a fraction of the time and cost of their current arrangements. Reduced costs equals higher profits, so the idea will be attractive. How will the elves feel about this? What effects will this have on their community? Will a regular influx of dwarven goods affect their own farmers, or artisans? Will the dwarves buy up so much food that there is none left for the residents?

 Let us imagine that some of the dwarves decide to build a permanent trade post at or near Entatratashan. How will the gnomes feel about this? What effects will this have on their community?

 Let us imagine that the dwarves, or some faction amongst the dwarves, become possessive over the network. They decide to restrict the gnomes, or our own, access to the teleporters. How long before armed conflict erupts?

 None of these scenarios are by any means guaranteed, but also none are outlandish or presuppose malice amongst the people of Kassiter - they follow logically from the natural motivations of people everywhere: to prosper, to trade, to explore and to know - but also to protect, and to control.

 Furthermore, there is also the consideration that somewhere out there in the network are places that were touched by the catastrophe - the black cloud - that perhaps signalled the end of the builder civilisation. If this phenomenon - curse, creature, pathogen or device - is still active, or is dormant but may be activated by our investigations, there's no reason it couldn't spread across the network and bring the same doom to the settlements we know about.

 And, indeed, ourselves.

 This, then, is our dilemma: to hide the existence of the network, or to deny access to it, seems arrogant and selfish on our part.

 Yet to open it up to anyone who wants to use it is dangerous and will absolutely have unforeseen consequences as distant cultures find themselves effectively next-door neighbours with a very low fence.

 We have already seen one example of such unanticipated complications - we destroyed the guardians at Entatratradesh, and now the local kobolds have explored it and found Builder weaponry which they have deployed against the gnomes.

 What do you think we should do? Are we honest and open about the network and its dangers, in the hope that those we meet will be reasonable about it - as we imagine that we are? Or do we seek to hide and control it, to prevent misuse, whilst possibly fomenting resentment against ourselves from those we should be befriending?

[Ed Chivers]

...Kazkan and Nahdarash, who are definitely not proxies for me in any way, pull up chairs and begin eating popcorn, watching how this conversation develops with interest...

[Rico]

Zardan pulls up a chair - "Alright, I'll bite"...

We were so pre-occupied with whether we could, no one stopped to consider whether we should.  And now the Efreeti is well and truly out of the bottle.  Doubtless there are those amongst us who believe that replacing the stopper will be enough to halt the spread of chaos we have unwittingly unleashed.  As the Gnomes have already learned, it will not be settled without significant struggle.

What should we do?  The idea that we can control the Builder network is... optimistic, at best.  We barely understand it.  It has been written that in order to control a thing, one must be able to defend a thing.  The Valley has no army.  We have a number of capable individuals, but not enough to guard every site, and not enough to protect every site from those that would use or abuse them.  Some have also said that in order to control a thing, you must be able to destroy the thing.  Can we?  Again, we barely understand it, could we work out how to disable, dismantle, or destroy it outright?  Could we bear, or even survive, whatever the consequences might be?

So, what should we do?  The Efreeti is loose, and already wreaking havoc amongst our neighbours. What do we do when our neighbour is in difficulty?  We help them.  And in so doing, help ourselves.  We should speak with those we have encountered so far, and deem to be reasonable.  Seek common ground, form alliances, and yes, share knowledge of what we have uncovered.  The Builder legacy will change, is already changing, their lives as well as ours, they must have whatever influence we can achieve over those changes, as must we.

This may spark conflict, hard times, difficult choices.  But attempting to control the network all but guarantees it.  If we seek control, others will eventually notice. Resenting our secretive, manipulative practices,they will band together against us, perhaps each other.  We would precipitate conflict.

We must also continue to explore - both the world beyond the valley, and the Builder network.  There are doubtless folk out there who stand to be affected by events we have set in motion, but are yet ignorant of them.  Our incomplete understanding of Builder matters may yet blind us to greater ramifications.

We have ushered chaos to our lives, and the lives of those we have met beyond The Valley.  We cannot control it.  We may not be able to tame it.  Certainly not alone.  We must contact our neighbours, be honest in our dealings with them, seek their aid as we offer them ours.

[Richard Jackson]

"I appreciate the caution," Dramble chimes in. "(No, honestly. Why is everyone laughing like that?)  But how can we stand in the light of discovery and not act?  Fate has handed us this great opportunity for new discoveries, advancements and to change so many lives for the better."

"We have started a great friendship with the gnomes at Entatratashan, and you already know I favour making contact with the dwarves at Kassiter.  I think Zardan has suggested the right approach. One doesn't change the world overnight. We need to build alliances and compacts, one community at a time. (Among other things, we'll need to reach agreements about use and custody of the various coloured bolts and arrangements for passing through the temples and nearby areas.)  Yes, we need a plan. Yes, we need to be careful. But there is no need to be glum.  We live in exciting times, my friends!  Songs will be sung of these days for centuries to come!"